A dark and damp car park was the meeting place for the ‘normal’ bunch of hashers. They were joined by one brave and naïve virgin hasher, who had no idea what faced her clean and presentable trainers…. Roger informed us that the hash followed all the now traditional markers but while he would describe it as flat, he could not be held liable if this description was not agreed by all parties. We were also warned that the shiggy had something to do with being “glissè”, which may as well be French to most of us hashers and suggested to me that the mud was a mere trifle (huh!)
We set off along Hatches Lane, quickly turning along a short footpath and then back onto tarmac. Having crossed the main road, the hashers soon found the long short split and the long hashers set off at a brisk pace over the field. Despite a couple of on-backs and plenty of mud, the on-on’s were swiftly called. The trail was clear, if slippy so just when I was congratulating myself on keeping up with the frb’s, the sight of the short cutters miraculously appearing in front of us reminded me there is a much easier way of doing so. All back together we continued on our way to find ourselves back on hard ground and heading for Little Kingshill on Heath End Road.
On the road surface, the hashers didn’t have to concentrate on preventing too much slipping and sliding, so dropped into a steady running pace while the usual chattering took over. Lenore distracted many with the news that the hash must live on without her when she returns to the US of A next month and so on and on we ran, and on and on…. Finally, the rhythm was broken by the cries of “on back”. Whoever said we should have known we wouldn’t run along an unlit road so far was right, but do hashers ever learn? And what will the hash do without Lenore?
The hash continued, stretching out across yet another muddy field. A couple of ‘on-backs’ had been cunningly placed by Roger to try and keep the rabble together but he was not to get thanks for these, as he casually referred to the lady hashers caught out by the second on-back as “ not the usual victims”. Lady hashers are apparently not weak and defenceless victims! Maybe some aren’t but at that point I was – I avoid those damn things like the plague!!
We then arrived at Peterley Farm Garden Centre, highly recommended for Christmas trees, which it was already advertising. A regroup allowed us to get our bearings before we headed straight under some trees where the puddles and shiggy reached their peak for the night and trainers were in danger of disappearing for ever. However, luck prevailed (I think) and the fear of a false trail was unfounded and no mooses were to be had either.
The last short/long split was reached and it seemed we must almost be heading for home. Flour was hard to spot among the masses of mud, as we followed the contour of the field but it was easy to hear the horses galloping towards us. This is a great way to get hashers moving over the last half a mile, while for the short cutters in the form of Roz and Maggie cows worked just as well. A sigh of relief was heard at the safety of the road and an on in sign.
Thanks to Roger for the hash and the glissè! And well done to our Clarendon Relay Runners for their 3rd place.